Major Owens

Major Owens – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Discover the rich legacy of Major Owens: his journey from librarian to U.S. Congressman, his advocacy in education and disability rights, and his most inspiring quotes and lessons.

Introduction

Major Robert Odell Owens (June 28, 1936 – October 21, 2013) was a remarkable American politician, public servant, and librarian whose career bridged grassroots community work and national policy. Known often as “The Librarian in Congress,” Owens brought his deep commitment to education, civil rights, and disability policy into the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1983 to 2007.

His path—beginning in Tennessee, through libraries, community activism, and city government, and culminating in national leadership—offers a compelling portrait of someone who believed that public institutions and policy must lift communities, not leave them behind.

Early Life and Family

Major Owens was born on June 28, 1936, in Collierville, Tennessee, to Ezekiel Owens and Edna Owens.

Growing up in Memphis, Owens attended public schools, and by 1952 he graduated from Hamilton High School at the age of 16.

Owens married Ethel Werfel in 1956; they had three sons: Christopher, Geoffrey (known as an actor), and Millard. Maria Cuprill, gaining two more children through that union.

He passed away on October 21, 2013, in New York City, at age 77, due to chronic health issues including heart and renal failure.

Youth and Education

After high school, Owens went to Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended Morehouse College, earning a B.A. with high honors in 1956. Master’s in Library Science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) in 1957.

Armed with this foundation, he relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where he began work as a librarian and community information specialist. His early roles included work at the Brooklyn Public Library, where he sought to make library resources more accessible to underserved neighborhoods—placing collections in laundromats, stores, and community gathering venues.

Simultaneously, he engaged in civil rights and local activism: he chaired the Brooklyn chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and served as vice president of the Metropolitan Council of Housing.

Career and Achievements

Librarianship & Community Development

Before entering formal politics, Owens’s career was rooted in public service and community empowerment. In the 1960s, he was community coordinator for Brooklyn Public Library (1964–1966) executive director of the Brownsville Community Council, mobilizing antipoverty programs and local initiatives.

In 1968, New York City’s mayor recruited him to be Commissioner of the Community Development Agency (CDA), overseeing anti-poverty efforts across the city’s designated areas.

He later directed the Community Media Library Program at Columbia University’s library school, combining his passions for librarianship and civic engagement.

Entry into Politics

In 1974, Owens ran for and won a seat in the New York State Senate (17th District), where he served through 1982.

When Shirley Chisholm retired from Congress in 1982, Owens won the Democratic primary and the general election, taking office in January 1983 as a U.S. Representative from New York.

In Congress, Owens served on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and on Government Reform. He chaired the Subcommittee on Select Education and Civil Rights and held the rank of Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee for Workforce Protections.

One of his landmark achievements was acting as floor manager for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the House, and crafting key amendments to support schoolchildren, civil rights, and disability enforcement.

He also championed Title I funding reforms to ensure “parent involvement” and realignment of resources for schools in New York. HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) funding, giving more stable federal support to institutions facing budget challenges.

He focused on issues beyond education: disability rights, gun control, foreign policy (notably Haiti), health care equity, voting rights, and economic justice.

In 2006, Owens opted not to run for reelection and retired at the end of his term in January 2007.

Later Work & Writing

Upon leaving Congress, Owens was named a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, where he researched the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and its influence. The Peacock Elite: A Case Study of the Congressional Black Caucus and Its Impact on National Politics in 2011.

He also served as a senior fellow at the DuBois-Bunche Center for Public Policy at Medgar Evers College.

Historical Context & Significance

Owens’ career coincided with shifts in civil rights, disability rights, and educational reform in the United States. In an era when many voices in Congress sidelined underserved communities, Owens used his platform to illuminate issues of equity, access, and structural investment.

As one of the first professional librarians in Congress, he also embodied the link between information access, democracy, and public policy.

His leadership in passing the ADA helped cement disability rights at the federal level, moving the nation toward fuller inclusion.

In Brooklyn and in New York City, his imprint is tangible: he was known as an “institution builder,” helping to mobilize resources into schools, libraries, and civic infrastructures.

Legacy and Influence

Major Owens left a legacy of principled advocacy in education, equity, and civic institutions. His example continues to inspire:

• Bridging scholarship and activism: He combined his librarian identity with activism, showing that knowledge infrastructure is central to social change.

• Policy + local grounding: Even as a national legislator, he retained strong ties to communities in Brooklyn, ensuring federal resources reached classrooms and neighborhoods.

• Disability and civil rights pioneer: His role in ADA and disability enforcement left enduring protections and frameworks.

• Mentorship and institutional building: His later scholarship and reflection on the Congressional Black Caucus aimed to strengthen future leadership.

The Brooklyn Public Library even dedicated a Major Owens Welcome Center in the Central Branch, curating his papers and honoring his role as a librarian-public servant.

Brooklyn communities have also memorialized him through dedications such as naming a health center and postal site in his name.

Personality and Talents

To colleagues and constituents, Owens was both rigorous and empathetic. He was known for:

• Intellectual conviction: He spoke and wrote with clarity, weaving data, moral frames, and community voices.

• Adaptability: From writing “rap poetry” to policy briefings, Owens understood multiple modes of communication.

• Relentless advocacy: He pushed for enforcement of laws, not just passage—believing that “people’s lives have to change as a result of legislation.”

• Bridge-building: He worked across communities—Black, Latino, Jewish, immigrant—to represent a diverse Brooklyn district with real sensitivity.

Famous Quotes of Major Owens

Here are some of Major Owens’ most powerful and evocative quotations:

1. “You have no power at all if you do not exercise constant power.”

2. “The first place to start is on enforcement. We who got the ADA passed did the hard part, the heavy lifting.”

3. “Competition is such a virtue, and everybody’s so busy competing, they have no time for compassion.”

4. “We can not wait until we have enough trained people willing to work at a teacher’s salary … to improve what happens in the classroom.”

5. “Technology tools such as laptops are the kind of help that we need. A program that provides laptops for all youngsters would close a gap that most of us are not aware of … in the poor communities.”

6. “There’s a kind of sick security some people get out of keeping away from people with disabilities … They are running away from any situation that’s not totally pure and all-American and that requires them to do any thinking.”

7. “High gas prices are eating away at consumers’ disposable income and could lead to a further economic downturn, especially for those whose livelihood depend on gasoline and diesel fuel.”

8. “People’s lives have to change as a result of this legislation.”

These quotes reflect his concerns with power, equity, technology, and the moral imperative of meaningful enforcement.

Lessons from Major Owens

From his life and work, several lessons emerge that remain deeply relevant:

1. Law must be enforced, not just passed. Passing legislation is a start; making it effective requires vigilance.

2. Education is foundational. Owens saw education—especially equitable access to technology—as a lever for social justice.

3. Policy must reflect lived experience. His career in libraries and communities grounded his legislative priorities.

4. Power is active, not static. His quote about constant exercise of power suggests that vigilance, not complacency, preserves rights.

5. Bridge-building is essential. Representing diverse communities taught him collaboration over division.

6. Institutional legacy matters. Owens invested in structures—libraries, schools, the CBC—that would outlast any one person.

Conclusion

Major Owens’ life—from a young man in Tennessee to a visionary lawmaker in Brooklyn and Washington—is a testament to principled public service, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to equity. His work in education, disability rights, and community uplift continues to resonate.

Explore his speeches, writings (such as The Peacock Elite), and the archives at the Brooklyn Public Library to dive deeper into the legacy of a man who believed that true power is the power used to help others.